


The Unwanted

by Hollow Girl (HollowGirlHG)



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Accidents, Drugs, Eventual Romance, F/M, Gang, Orphan - Freeform, Romance, Russian
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-20
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2020-10-24 22:03:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20713247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HollowGirlHG/pseuds/Hollow%20Girl
Summary: TJ moves in next door to Mickey Milkovich on a planned excursion by her parents. She’s got a lot of secrets, and a lot of history, her new found friendship with Mickey nothing she’s ever experienced before. He’s blunt, fast, honest, each day bringing them closer and making it more complicated for her to define exactly what it is they have.This is a Author Universe story. I’m a big supporter of Ian and Mickey, don’t get me wrong, but I REALLY like Mickey’s personality. So if this story isn’t your cup of tea because of that, don’t read it. Thanks in advance if you do.





	1. Chapter 1

Tamlyn Jean Schuler stepped out of the taxi with her bookbag over her shoulder and a scowl on her face. The man didn’t even wait for her to step away after she shut the door before pulling off and out of the neighborhood. She watched him take a quick right back towards the by-pass, a smirk on her face. She figured most people wanted out of the Southside of Chicago as fast as he was driving.

She returned her attention to the house in front of her, staring up at the massive three-bedroom, 2 bath that would be her home. The keys were tucked away in her right pocket and she made to get them out as she headed up the porch. Her parents hadn’t started work on it just yet, and she was sure there would be a grocery list of shit she would need to work on, inside. The fencing around the front was busted, the gate missing, the porch sagging; it was going to be a long summer.

Heading inside and closing the door behind herself she surveyed the living room. Just outside the front mud room there was a couch, a busted ass chair, and an entertainment center. If there had been a TV at one point in time, she figured it had been stolen a while ago. Moving through the space she headed into the kitchen, checking out the fridge to make sure the power worked and turning on the stove to check the gas. The water heater sat in the far-right corner, just next to the staircase.

She scaled the stairs with ease, checking out the three bedrooms, the master on the front end of the house. The master bathroom looked ok, but it all needed a washing for sure. Dropping her bag she headed back downstairs, snatching up the note she had seen earlier. A grocery list for sure, project after project was laid out in front of her. Scanning over the prescheduled installation points, TJ sighed, tossing the paper back on the counter.

No time like the present to get high and wasted, she’d worry about the cleaning later.

* * *

** _1 week later_ **

She had scored a job at the diner just four blocks down the road. The main stretch of Canaryville where the laundry mat and grocery shared walls. With the money her parents had wired her for the house, and the money she had gotten from tips and salary, she had finally got the living room into a decent condition. The bathroom upstairs was looking ok, but the bedroom still needed work. She found herself sleeping on the couch.

It was working, she was proud. Each day brought a new surprise. Going off the schedule she had received, her flooring would be replaced tomorrow, a crew coming by to rip up the old carpet downstairs and lay vinyl. After that she would have to start painting, instructions on how to get paint delivered to the house detailed in her notes.

At 7 AM the day of, she found herself blaring music and dancing around the kitchen, making breakfast to last before she was kicked out for the floor layers. Bobbing her head and screaming at the top of her lungs she scrambled eggs and popped bread into the toaster she had gotten. The loud bangs on the front door got her attention though, pulling her out of her revere as she took a sip of coffee and headed towards the front, turning down the music on the way.

On the other side of her door was an angry looking boy. Only four or so inches taller than herself, he seemed to growl, crossing his arms over his chest. He had on a t-shirt and boxers, his dark hair disheveled as he stared her down. He looked exhausted.

“Shut the fuck up,” he drawled out, rubbing one hand over his face.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me, it’s 7 in the fucking morning, you got a brain cell up there?” He pointed towards her head and she rolled her eyes. She could tell he was agitated, his eyes bouncing back towards the house on the left. It was falling apart too, but by the state of it she figured it would stay that way. When she had first moved in, she thought it was condemned, vacant from the lack of traffic.

“I have quite a few thanks,” she smiled sweetly, “I’ll be sure to turn the music down. Sorry.”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” The scream came from the house he had been staring at, a mousy head of brown hair tucking back inside the front door as it slammed shut behind her. TJ couldn’t help but laugh as the girl announced herself and left so abruptly.

“Your girlfriends not so nice.”

“Sister,” he corrected her, uncrossing his arms. “Keep it down. I don’t want to have to come back over here.”

“Look I’m sorry, I didn’t think anyone lived over there.”

“Well, we do, and we’re tired like normal fuckin’ people at 7 in the morning.” With that he was gone, flicking her off over his shoulder as he headed down her porch, barefoot, and onto the sidewalk towards his own home. She watched him head in through the front door, closing it behind him and leaving her in silence.

The hum of her music from the living room was all she could hear for a moment before the flooring installation truck rolled out front and parked in the middle of the street. It was going to be a long day.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been two weeks since her encounter with the neighbor. It was like the world suddenly started working or something. Before she had been brutally yelled at, the street and the house next door had been quiet. Now there was constant traffic.

TJ saw him in the late morning, his sleepy eyes staring out over the street as he sipped coffee on the front porch. Sometimes he was wearing full clothes, occasionally a robe, once he had been naked. She had found herself blushing and darting back inside all too quickly, not wanting to get caught staring.

Every time they made eye contact though he scowled. If she hadn’t seen him smile at least once a day in the morning she would have been sure that the scowl was a permeant fixture, but all the same.

And with all the resolve in her body she wanted to correct the indiscretion so she could stop cowering every time she ran into him. Her Saturday morning was spent making cookies, her grandmothers recipe sitting out in front of her. She took liberties from time to time, her skills in the kitchen self-taught but still good. It always helped to have instructions in arms reach, however.

After mentally debating the amount of people she had seen coming and going she reasoned with three dozen chocolate chip cookies. She was frazzled when it was all done, but it was an accomplishment she was happy to share.

As if on cue she heard his car pull up, music loud from the speakers. It cut after a few seconds and she grabbed the plate, making sure the saran wrap stayed on as she headed over to the neighbor’s house. As she took the first step up to the shabby porch, eyes bouncing around the various lawn ornaments shaped like fridge parts and broken bicycles, the front door opened and the very person she wasn’t clicking with stepped out.

He didn’t look up, focusing on the cigarette between his lips as he lit it and took the first drag. Eyes now closed he inwardly sighed, dipping his head back and dropping his shoulders as though the nicotine acted instantly.

“What do you want?” he muttered, peeling one eye open to look at her. She wasn’t sure if he was attempting to be scary or if it was just a natural aura around him. She felt the abrasive air though, the cookies in her hand suddenly looking very childish indeed. She plastered on a smile, taking the remaining steps to the landing, now standing just inches from him as he breathed out, smoke hitting her in the face and traveling upward.

“I made you cookies, as I’m the dick who’s been waking you up too early in the morning.” She presented them with a smile, waiting for him to react.

He didn’t say anything at first, his eyes bouncing to the plate in her hand, brows furrowing slightly as he seemed to think about the correct response.

“Are those chocolate chip?” he questioned as he took the plate from her finally. She nodded, stepping aside as he moved forward without hesitation. He dropped down and took a seat on his landing, just next to her feet. She looked down at him as he unwrapped the saran wrap and threw it into his front yard before picking up a cookie and shoving it in his mouth. “Fuck man these are good.” He moaned through another bite and she found herself flushing red as she took a seat beside him.

“Thanks?”

“Tell your mom I said thanks,” he muttered out through bites, “these are the best.”

“Um, I guess I can.” TJ laughed, swiping one of her own cookies from his plate. “I mean you’ll have to pay for the long-distance call though, cause fuck those fees.”

“They leave you in that big house by yourself, what are you like 15?”

She burst out laughing, leaning back into the laugh that rolled through her and made her chest swell. She shook her head, rolling her eyes at him as she fished into her bra. He watched her with confusion as she pulled a joint out, perfectly rolled, a lighter tucked right in beside it. “I’m 18 actually, and this was their idea. Disciplinary action if you wanna call it that.”

“Did you just pull a fucking joint out of your bra?” He didn’t hesitate to swipe it from her, discarding the cookies on the other side of him in exchange for the doobie. He took a sniff before nodding with approval, lighting the end up quickly before taking a hit. She watched, taking it back after a second before taking her own hit. “Full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“I’d like to think I’m pretty normal. Now, the important question,” she passed him the joint reaching over him to grab a cookie, “am I forgiven?”

“That’s between you and god dollface, I’m just here to get high.” He looked out over the street, watching the neighbor across the way shuffle out of their house and head to their car. The summer air around them was vapid, so thick you couldn’t breathe. As they sat there in a silence TJ was sure she had already sweat through her tank top and sports bra, her long slender legs frying in the sun. “Whats your name?”

“It’s TJ.” For some reason she didn’t want to give him her real name, Tamlyn Jean sounding like something a grandma would hold onto. She shied away from his as he took the blunt back from her and finished it off, grabbing up the plate of cookies and stuffing a few more in his mouth. “You?”

“Mickey.”

As she looked over at him, he caught her eyes. She nodded, taking in his name, not sure what else to say. The silence lingered as she studied his face. Sun kissed just lightly, she was sure he was super pale in the winter. His dark hair and dark eyebrows stood out on his complexion, bright blue eyes inspecting her as well. She could see the red haze from the weed as he smiled, his high kicking in.

“This is some good shit,” he muttered, looking away from her and handing her back the plate. She inspected the now empty tray and found herself standing, taking the few steps down.

“Where you going?” he called out, standing up himself, watching as she headed over to her own house.

“Home, you’re welcome to join. I need more cookies.” She took a moment to inspect him over her shoulder, her body shivering at the hard look in his eyes. She knew that look, she had seen it before. He blinked it away though, quickly, nodding his head and glancing back at his house for a moment before following her. She waited for him to get in stride before continuing on, not entirely sure what she was doing as she closed the front door behind him and they headed into the kitchen.


	3. Chapter 3

Mickey, although high, was staring at every inch of her house. She watched him from the corner of her eye the best she could, but her fingers were knuckle deep in cookie dough, which was much more time consuming than she anticipated. Her own buzz was making seconds into minutes, entire days trapped in each moment as she felt the cookie dough squirm around her fingers. It was cold, the smell of dark chocolate hitting her nose, making her smile.

“You haven’t been here long; you just get this house?” He finally made it into the kitchen, eyes still surveying everything. He was scoping out every corner, crack, crevice. He ran his fingers along the walls, along the furniture, making a path for his eyes to follow.

“Nah, my parents own it. Have for some time, just haven’t done anything with it.”

“They those suits that showed up about six months ago, the blonde barbies?” He leaned on her kitchen counter beside her, watching her fingers in the bowl. He hesitated for a moment before reaching down and grabbing some of the raw cookie dough and taking a bite. She watched him lift it to his mouth, watching the dark chocolate chunks slid into his mouth and get trapped between his lips. He sighed with a happiness she was proud of before she remembered he had asked a question.

“Those would be the ‘rents. In comparison, I suppose I’m a barbie too.” She hadn’t meant to flutter her lashes but it happened, Mickey watching her closely. He studied her face and she felt insecure suddenly, the sweat not making matters any better. He didn’t respond to her comment, just pushed himself off the counter when he spotted the staircase in the corner. She didn’t have time to tell him no as he was already scaling the steps 2 at a time and helping himself to the second level.

She could hear him walking around as she preheated the oven. She thought about the things she had, trying to remember if there was anything to steal. A laugh rolled out of her at the thought, not sure exactly where it had come from. Maybe it was the neighborhood, maybe it was the things she had seen him take into his own house with the cover of darkness; she wasn’t sure. But it made her laugh.

He was taking his time in each room, not that there was much of anything in the two spares. Just curtains, some left behind furniture, and a mattress on the floor in one of them with a strange red stain on it. She didn’t want to speculate. It was much too heavy for her to haul out by herself and the vinyl layers said they didn’t have room.

When the cookies were on the pan, she washed her hands, shoving the tray into the oven afterwards. He had made it to the master bedroom, and he had been stopped for over a minute now. As she listened, and debating going upstairs, she finally heard him walk, his steps bringing him back out into the hallway, and then he appeared on the staircase.

“Where do you sleep?”

“Couch.”

He nodded, hands on his hips like a dad. He seemed to be intrigued, something in his brain trying to be figured out. “I’d get rid of that mattress upstairs if I was you.”

“Yeah?” She questioned, leaning back against the counter and kitchen sink, arms crossed over her chest. “Why, you kill someone on it?”

“Not me.”

“Excuse me?” The air was caught in her lungs, Mickey laughing manically as he headed into her living room. She followed him with bulging eyes, watching him sink into her couch and take her pillow, placing it behind his head. “Just make yourself comfortable.”

“How much longer on those cookies?” He kicked his feet up on the coffee table and she swatted at them, quickly making him put them down. Although the furniture was shit, and it looked worse than something you’d see on the side of the road most days, it was all she had. And she wanted it to stay nice.

“Nine minutes and counting.” She sank down next to him on the couch, producing the TV remote buried between the couch cushions. Her dad had sent one over when he had learned from one of the contractors, she figured, that she didn’t have entertainment anymore. She didn’t complain, cable hooked up just a few days later. She flipped it on, surfing to the preseason games for the Bears.

“You watch football?”

“My pops used to own a couple of the Bears. I went to the games when I was little.”

“You fuckin’ with me?” Mickey’s eyebrow’s pinched together as he looked over at her, studying her face as she smiled and shook her head. She most certainly was not fucking with him. Her father was notorious for getting things that either a) made him look cool or b) pissed her mom off to no end. It was the latter this time around.

“My mom hates football, so my dad sponsored a couple of the guys, got season passes, made a family event out of it. Anything to rile her up.”

“Bet they fucked after.”

“That’s gross.” She scowled, quickly changing the channel to something else, the unpleasant image in her mind. Most programs were nonexistent in the afternoon, a few day time soap operas popping up between channels. She passed by animal planet and stopped when Mickey told her to, LA Choppers on the TV. They seemed to get sucked in, watching as the bikes were showcased, washed, cleaned, supped up.

Before she knew it, the timer was going off.

She scrambled to the kitchen to get the cookies, pulling the tray out on the beautiful masterpieces. She let them cool for a moment, pouring some milk into two glasses, before putting them on a plate in a big pile and carrying them out to the couch. Mickey quickly took the plate and a glass from her, licking his lips as he watched the program and bit into one of the cookies.

Like the plate before they were gone in just a matter of minutes, TJ sunk down into the couch, full of warm chocolatey goodness, Mickey beside her just the same. The summer sun was sliding across the floor and they both passed out too quickly, grins and bits of chocolate still on their faces.

* * *

When TJ opened her eyes next it was dark. The TV was turned down, some movie playing softly in the background. A blanket was thrown over her body and the plate and cups had been removed. She yawned, stretching out her limbs as she fumbled for her phone in her pocket to see what time it was.

The thud from upstairs startled her. Sitting up quickly, shaking and peering over the back of the couch, she watched as a figure stepped down from her staircase. She didn’t recognize his height, or his build, his eyes shining in the moonlight from the window. She had her thumb typing in 911 and dialing when she heard his voice.

“Iggy shut the fuck up, don’t want to wake her.”

“Don’t think we can help that.” The creep she didn’t know pointed her out, and Mickey stepped down from the stairs just seconds later, looking in at her concerned.

“Hey, go back to sleep.” It was a fatherly demand, which made her laugh. She rolled her eyes, leaning her chin on the back of the couch, staring at him confused. Another figure joined them on the landing but this one wasn’t walking forward, rather backwards with something large in his hands. It took TJ a moment to realize but it was the mattress. She didn’t say a word as Mickey directed the two men who carried the thing out the back door, Iggy following them. He stood in the door frame for a moment, glancing back at her. With a quick nod he was locking the handle and heading out himself, shutting the door behind him.

TJ sank back into the couch, a grin on her face. Chicago wasn’t going to be so bad.


	4. Chapter 4

TJ bobbed her head to the music, one hand on the handle of the skillet, the other on her hip. Her hair was thrown on top of her head, the summer night beyond warm. She had gotten rid of her pants earlier, her legs on display from the edges of her baggy men’s tank top. The sun had sank beyond the sky line hours ago, but the warmth was unrelenting.

Laundry was tossing around in the washing machine, the gentle noises of the house comforting as she hummed along to the radio.

Curling her toes, TJ shook the skillet around on the burner and leaned over, taking a big whiff of the food. Her stomach growled and she smiled. Her grandmother was Italian, and pasta was her thing. A recipe that seemed to skip TJ’s mom, but she didn’t mind. Spending her childhood with her grandmother instead of her parent’s had never been a problem.

“Whatcha makin?”

She screamed, whirling around, hand to her chest, heart hammering away. Mickey stood there laughing. Her back door closed behind him as his eyes scaled up her bare legs. She was already red from the shock, but his eyes didn’t help.

“Jesus fucking Christ.” She let out a breathy chuckle, flicking him off as she moved over to her washer and dryer where her shorts she had discarded sat. Pulling them on, she turned back around to face him, one eyebrow raised in question. Her back door had been locked since the last time he had been here, over a week ago, and yet he got in silently.

Mickey bit his bottom lip, finally looking up at her eyes as he shook his head, an evil grin on his face.

“How’d you get in?”

“My key.” He showed her a silver key before shoving it in his front pocket. He moved over to the small bar that sat in front of her sink, sinking down onto one of the stools she had there. She furrowed her brows and made to question him but he pointed at the skillet, her eyes glancing over quickly to see what he was motioning at. Her skillet was fine but the food was smoking. Quickly she grabbed it, pulling it off the stove top and putting it on the counter. “Smells good.”

TJ nodded her response to him, glancing over at his grin before stirring up her food to make sure it was good. With a grin of her own she grabbed two plates, dishing out food, sliding one in front of him as she rounded the counter and took the seat next to him with the other.

He took a baby bite, tasting it, mulling it over. After a moment he started shoveling it in, TJ chuckling softly to herself as she ate her own food.

“Damn girl, that,” Mickey pointed at his empty plate as he leaned back and grinned at her, “was fucking good.”

“Thanks.” She gathered up his empty plate along with hers, dropping them in the sink before turning around. “So, why do you have a key?”

“I changed your lock.”

“Excuse me?” She crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes on him as he grinned up at her.

“You got a key, I put it on your chain.” He stood up, coming around the counter to stand in front of her. She noted how close he was as he leaned back on her sink, crossing his own arms to match her. He was so relaxed, at ease, as though he had known her for years. She had realized how easy this was, and her frustration melted away so quickly. “Your old lock was shit, I replaced it before we took the mattress.”

“I suppose I should say thanks?”

“Nah, you should be mad.” He unraveled one of his arms to point a finger at her. “You always this trusting?”

“No?”

“Bullshit.”

She glared, swatting his hand away before rolling her eyes. Turning her back to him she headed into the living room, Mickey hot on her heals. She had a new addition, a PS4, and it only took him a second to notice it. He had a remote in his hand in seconds, ass planted on her couch and demanding the passcode to get in. In ten minutes they were blazing up and playing God of War, the thick summer air of Chicago lost as they enjoyed each other’s company.

It went on like that for weeks. TJ spent the day’s working on the house, painting the living room slowly, making sure it hit the right standards. She welcomed in a few contractors here and there for the electrical and the plumbing. Every night she’d either start dinner or warm up leftovers, Mickey by her side like clockwork. They’d talk about his day, the weather, the news, whatever.

She learned quickly that he had some friends down the street, a family that was busting at the seams in their own house. She learned that his sister was dating one of the boys, and that he didn’t particularly like it. She also learned that his dad was locked up, the house left to him, his sister that she had never met formally, and his other brothers – who, in Mickey’s words, were here nor there, or fucking something else.

He was definitely something else himself. She grew fond of him, his foul mouth, his raunchy humor, and his strange caring moments. He floored her from time to time, getting upset when he learned she had been out after the sun had set, walking no less. They argued over it and he learned quickly that she wasn’t as weak minded as maybe he had originally assumed. He left in a storm of anger only to come back after she had been asleep, waking her up to apologize.

It was nice. Although, not normal in any way, she thought of Mickey as a reprieve from the insanity of her own life. A vacation from her own thoughts, her own issues. Plus, she had good weed.

Hands tucked deep in her pockets, TJ strolled down the street towards her house, a grin on her face. The sun was still intolerable, but she didn’t seem to mind much. Her hair was stuck to her shoulders, her skin red from exhaustion, but it didn’t much matter. The people around her were in the same predicament, and she waved a small hello to the older lady who lived four blocks down the street, who always waved when she passed.

It was so quick; she didn’t expect it. One minute she was strolling along, the next, two hands grabbed her from behind, she heard the squeal of breaks suddenly, and she was being thrown into the back of a vehicle. Trying to let out a scream, a hand was shoved over her mouth so she took advantage of the moment and elbowed her assailant. The man grunted, mumbles of fuck whispering behind her but she didn’t wait to hear. The van door was shut and she was thrown into darkness. Quickly, she threw a foot back, clocking whoever it was in the shin, their hold loosening up.

“Damn,” another voice came out of the darkness, laughter following it up. TJ froze, looking up at the beaming and smiling face of a boy she had never seen before, a mop of disheveled curls tumbling all around his face. She narrowed her eyes, glaring, reaching out suddenly to hit him. The one behind her though pulled her back with sudden force and she slammed her head back into his chest, letting out a muffled scream.

“Jesus fuck!” His accent, she knew his voice, she stilled. “God damn TJ it’s just me.” Mickey held her tightly still, probably unsure yet if she recognized him. Letting out a sudden gust of air, she relaxed, leaning back into him, tilting her head back against his chest to glare up at him as he scowled down at her. “You about fucking killed me.”

“Serves you right moron, is this how you pick up all your friends? Cause now I see why I was your only fucking friend.” She stressed out the was, grinning cockily up at him. His fingers were still firmly dug into her side, her tank top pushed up to the edge of her bra from the struggle.

“Was? Bitch you love me.” He smiled back, placing a big wet kiss on her forehead for emphasis.

She reached up and smacked the side of his head but he retaliated, pinching her side. She squirmed in his hold, bringing herself up to be eye level with him.

“Are you going to introduce us to this lovely lady Mick?”

TJ turned her attention away from Mickey to the new voice, glancing at what she assumed was a ginger boy in the darkness of the van. He was next to the one who had been grinning at her earlier, both of them watching as thought this was a movie. She suddenly became very aware of her position, hands frantically pulling down her shirt as she distanced herself from the lap of Mickey who was chuckling.

“No lady here boys, this is TJ. My new neighbor.” Mickey smiled over at her. She didn’t feel comfortable around strangers, even if she was sure these were the boys he had talked about in the last couple of weeks. It made her anxious, after having been in her house alone for so long, her skin was crawling as they stared at her. “TJ this is the Gallagher boys, Ian and Lip.”

“TJ, is that your real name?” The one called Lip questioned her.

“I don’t know Lip, you tell me.” He grinned at her response and she felt her resolve soften. Not enough to distance herself any further from Mickey though. Regardless of the warmth of summer, she made sure her leg was touching his, eyes shifting from face to face as the van bounced along the road. “Where are we going?”

“They’re dropping me off at home. I got you some end tables.” Mickey carelessly placed his hand on her thigh, Ian and Lip looking over their shoulders where the end tables were, pushed up against the back doors of the van. “When I saw you walking along the road, I couldn’t resist.”

She grumbled, swatting his hand away only to have it return. Glaring at his fingers she tried to make the rest of the eyes around her go away. But they were staring, at her, at him, at his hand, at her face, everything. She felt like she was under a microscope.

“Mickey tells us you’re a good cook?” The ginger, she was sure he was gay – Mickey had said he guzzled cock daily – questioned her as he tried to break up the awkward silence.

“Yeah. I enjoy cooking. It’s math but in the kitchen.” He nodded, smiling sweetly at her. She returned the smile, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked over at Mick. “Speaking of that, what do you want for dinner?”

“Pasta. That shit you made two weeks ago? What the fuck was that? I loved it.”

She nodded, remembering the roasted vegetables with the penne pasta and cheese. If she had told him then that it had no meat in it, he wouldn’t have taken the first bite. But she was changing his eating habits little by little. “Penne, I’ll need to go grocery shopping.”

“Cool, after we get these tables into your house we can go.” She nodded, looking up at Ian and Lip who were looking at one another before returning their eyes to her. The curly haired boys eyes lingered, and she wanted to tell him to stop staring.

The van came to a stop before she had the chance though, all of them shifting at the break. As soon as it was put in park Lip was out, the door opening up to a view of her house. Mickey got out next, extending a hand to her to help her out and she took it. Following behind her was Ian, Lip already opening up the back doors to get the two tables.

“Where did these comes from?” TJ glanced up at Mickey as he told them to take them around back and put them on the porch, he would get them from there.

“Oh, my boyfriend,” Ian called out with a laughter from over his shoulder as he rounded around her house, “we robbed him. No worries. He won’t miss them.”

“What?” Turning her angry face on, TJ glared up at Mickey in a way she assumed a mother would their child. He rolled his eyes.

“Get your panties untwisted T, he asked us to rob him. Insurance cash out, ya know?”

She didn’t know what to say, resounding to a firm grunt as she watched the two boys come back around to the front. They shared boyish handshakes with Mickey and were in the van and gone in no time. She watched the vehicle bounce on off down the road, certain she would be seeing them again soon.


	5. Chapter 5

“Put it back.” TJ pointedly stared at Mickey, watching him sigh before putting the massive bag of twizzler’s back. He was pouting, his eyes cast to the floor as he crossed his arms and continued down the grocery store isles with her. “So those were the Gallagher’s?”

Mickey nodded, eyes shifting around the store to look at all the people. She had mentioned to him weeks back that he didn’t need to be on the defense when grocery shopping, but he told her she didn’t know him well enough to make that assessment. Which was true, so she dropped it, slightly ok with being as guarded as he seemed to want her to be.

It was all strange though, if she thought about it. Which generally she didn’t let herself get too deep into thinking about it at all. She knew his first and last name, his address, and his siblings’ names. He didn’t call his dad dad, and he was gone all day, usually coming in late for dinner. He lived on the south side of Chicago, and although he had a thick Russian heritage, he couldn’t speak the language to save his life. She knew very little of him, and it didn’t take a genius to know he wanted it that way.

So she didn’t think about it. Because Mickey was nice, protective, hilarious, and above all he didn’t treat her like a shell of a person. She didn’t feel helpless around him.

“My fucking shin still hurts girl, remind me to never jump you, shit.” He grinned, faking a limp as he walked ahead of her, grabbing up the vegetables she was making him eat. She rolled her eyes, steering the cart away from him towards the meat counter. She’d get some chicken this time, seeing as he was watching her buy the groceries more often. She waited her turn, getting a few chicken breasts fresh to add to the penne.

He was back by the time she had gotten the protein, tossing the vegetables into the cart with a grin.

“Well I’ll fucking be, is this Terry’s boy, shopping?” The boisterous voice was followed up by an even louder round of laughter from two men. Mickey, who was beside her, grew very still, the tension suddenly surrounding her. TJ gripped the handle on the cart as she looked up at the two who were standing before them. Large, overweight, dressed in summer clothing, they looked to be in their late 40’s if not 50’s. Their eyes were cold, dark black pupils leering at her. The one on the left continued to chuckle softly to himself as the one on the right looked Mickey in the eyes.

“Your father sent me to get the shipment.”

“Are you fucking stupid?” Mickey muttered it, shaking his head as he glanced over at TJ. “We’re in a fucking grocery store, did your mother drop you on your fucking head?” He was half the size of the men, and TJ watched him walk around the cart to stand in front of them, as though he was Zeus the Almighty himself. “I can’t believe my fucking father trusts you Leon.”

“You listen here Milkovich, don’t go talking all big because your whores here. Let’s not forget who’s in charge and who’s paying the fucking debt.” He shoved a chubby finger into Mickey’s chest, and TJ felt the tremble go through her body. Sure, she knew how to punch and kick and scratch, but these men were four times bigger than her, she wouldn’t be able to get away if she tried. “Tonight, don’t fucking be late. I want you there at 10.”

Mickey nodded, eyes on the floor, only returning to the two men as they turned their backs and headed out of the isle. He kept his back to TJ, his shoulders rising and falling as he seemed to be reeling over the moment in his mind. She went to speak up but he cut her off, glancing back only momentarily to look in her eyes.

“I’ll catch you later T. Don’t wait up.”

He was gone. She watched him round the end of the isle and then she was alone. A hole filled in; her mouth dry as she tried to realize exactly what had happened.

* * *

He said, _don’t wait up._

She rolled her eyes for the millionth time that night, the clock beside her bed blaring a bright 1AM. She had changed into her PJ’s, plugged in the wall unit A/C for her room upstairs. Mickey had helped her clean out the front bedroom a few weeks back, getting her a new queen mattress still in plastic with a matching box spring. The bed frame was a metal rail set, something he said wasn’t good enough for her but she was elated, giving him a hug that day without thinking.

It looked like a room almost. The dresser had come from god knows where, and one of the end tables they had brought home earlier had navigated its way upstairs.

She had eaten downstairs after getting home and cooking. She had put the leftovers away in a Tupperware container after an hour of waiting. She played video games, stalling on the load screens, hoping Mickey would saunter in through her back door per usual. But he didn’t. When 11PM rolled around she washed dishes. At midnight she did a load of laundry.

Her eyes were heavy now, but she didn’t want to sleep. Sighing deeply, she glanced out the window at the road for his car one more time before turning the light off and dropping herself into darkness. Sinking into the mattress, TJ pushed the blankets away, letting them drop to the floor as she hugged a pillow close to her.

The footsteps woke her. Her blurry eyes read the 2 AM on the clock as the bed dipped down beside her. Frantically she swung around, reaching out to hit whatever or whoever was in her room.

“Shit T! Stop it!” Mickey grabbed her arm, growling with anger as he took a few hits before she calmed down. She pulled her arm away from him, turning on the light quickly to look at him in the haze of her sleep. Mickey groaned, trying to shy away from the light, but she already saw the blood on his forehead and the sizable gash that ran along his hair line.

“What the fuck?” She hollered at him, pursing her lips as she leaned forward to move his hands and take a better look.

“Stop it woman, it’ll be ok.”

“Sure as fuck won’t, I just washed these sheets. Go take a fucking shower.” She shoved him from her bed, watching as he fell down to the floor, landing on his back. He groaned, glaring up at her before pushing himself up. She watched him head back into the hallway, stripping his shirt in the process. In the faint glow of the light on her bedside she watched him drop his pants before stepping into her bathroom to shower.

He left the door open as TJ sank back into the mattress, her heart hammering a mile a minute. She reached out to check her phone, seeing that he had texted her a few times in the last ten minutes. He asked if he could come over, only waiting a minute before saying he wasn’t waiting. She smiled, listening to the shower for a moment before closing her eyes.

She dozed off, only realizing it when Mickey was back, the bed dipping down once again. He smelled like her body wash; the blood gone from his face. He was shirtless, a pair of his shorts he had left here before, now on. He leaned over her, brushing against her skin for a moment to turn the light off. They were dropped in darkness as they sank into the bed. TJ faintly heard the murmur of a thanks before she was out like a light.


End file.
